James Gaddis tanked Florida governor’s secretive scheme to build hotels and golf courses over acres of preserved land

Florida’s department of environmental protection has fired a whistleblower who exposed and sank governor Ron DeSantis’s secretive plan to pave over environmentally sensitive state parks and build lucrative hotels, golf courses and pickleball courts.

James Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, was terminated for “conduct unbecoming a public employee”, according to a letter he received on Saturday.

His leaking of the proposals sparked a furious backlash that united Republicans with Democrats and environmental advocates, and forced DeSantis into a humiliating climbdown last week in which he admitted the plans were “half-baked” and were “going back to the drawing board”.

Speaking with the Tampa Bay Times on Monday, Gaddis said preservation of the state parks was more important to him than his position.

“It was the absolute flagrant disregard for the critical, globally imperiled habitat in these parks,” he said. “This was going to be a complete bulldozing of all of that habitat. The secrecy was totally confusing and very frustrating. No state agency should be behaving like this.”

News of his firing came as two Democratic state representatives pressed the agency about who was involved in drawing up plans that appeared to include no-bid contracts destined for mysteriously pre-chosen developers outside the requirements of Florida law.

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  • danekrae@lemmy.world
    162·
    4 months ago

    conduct unbecoming a public employee

    Serving the people and the country’s nature is unbecoming, just so you know america.

  • girlfreddy@lemmy.ca
    652·
    4 months ago

    And another whistleblower bites the dust.

    Too bad American politicians don’t give a shit about honesty when politics and bribery are involved.

  • Broken_Monitor@lemmy.world
    48·
    4 months ago

    Are EPA employees not protected from retaliation? There are tons of laws protecting employees from retaliation for reporting things to agencies like the EPA, DEP, OSHA, etc. Seems really weird the people in those offices wouldnt have the same protections

      • Infynis@midwest.socialEnglish
        35·
        4 months ago

        I don’t think what they were planning is actually a crime.

        From the excerpt from the article

        News of his firing came as two Democratic state representatives pressed the agency about who was involved in drawing up plans that appeared to include no-bid contracts destined for mysteriously pre-chosen developers outside the requirements of Florida law.

    • Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world
      17·
      4 months ago

      Are EPA employees not protected from retaliation? There are tons of laws protecting employees from retaliation for reporting things to agencies like the EPA, DEP, OSHA, etc. Seems really weird the people in those offices wouldnt have the same protections

      They would, but the whistle was being blwon against the corrupt AF shitstain governor of the state, so…

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      1·
      4 months ago

      It was not EPA, which is a federal agency. He was an employee of the state of Florida, fired for exposing the scheming of the governor of Florida

      • Broken_Monitor@lemmy.world
        2·
        4 months ago

        Looks like Florida DEP, so you are right, I had the wrong agency. That still seems like a place that should have protections against retaliation. Crazy shit, I hope someone gives this guy a better job for standing up for what’s right.

  • stoly@lemmy.world
    391·
    4 months ago

    Even Florida surely has whistleblower laws. This person will get a nice check before everything is done.

  • orbitz@lemmy.ca
    35·
    4 months ago

    Seems to be (or becoming) a pattern down there, they don’t like it when people with information give the facts that the government isn’t comfortable with the public knowing like with Rebekah Jones during COVID. How many states are going full fascist these days? Texas is doing raids on people doing voter registrationa that appear to be targeted for minorities.

    It’s exactly what all the shitty countries that Trump complains about do, yet because those states gargle his marbles and kick up the payments it’s all good (plus they’re being racist which is good in his books). It’s mostly the payment but I’m sure he enjoys a good ball wash before he tees off.

    If only there was some critical thinking from people to realize not doing that shit is what made the country better than (some) others.

  • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.worldEnglish
    29·
    4 months ago

    This was going to be a complete bulldozing of all of that habitat. The secrecy was totally confusing

    Republican governor does wildly unpopular shit to make money for his backers. Why would the secrecy be “confusing”?

    • Dashi@lemmy.world
      3·
      4 months ago

      A lawsuit will take time. But the guy started a go fund me you can find by searching “an ethical whistleblower’s new start” if anyone wants to help him. Looking at the numbers something tells me he isn’t going to be hurting in the short term.

  • Noxy@yiffit.netEnglish
    6·
    4 months ago

    outside the requirements of Florida law

    such careful language. maybe something like “against” instead of “outside”

    • ashok36@lemmy.world
      4·
      4 months ago

      I tossed in $10. As a Floridian, it’s the least I can do. An exampl needs to be set that if you do the right thing and stand up to these assholes, people will have your back.

      Moral courage is great but people need to eat too. I’m also very glad we don’t have state income tax so DeSantis won’t see one red cent of these donations.